Red Sea Global says sustainability and regeneration are core values in its development
An ambitious destination on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia will start to welcome its first guests in May 2023.
And sustainability and regeneration are core values for the developer, Red Sea Global, which says eco-friendly policies have been embedded since the start of its first project, called The Red Sea.
The previously undeveloped landscape comprises coral reefs, beaches, mangrove swamps, deserts, seagrass, a dormant volcano, mountains, wadi environments and cultural sites.
Red Sea Global says it is “seeking to lead the world towards a more sustainable future, showing how responsible and regenerative development can uplift communities, drive economies and enhance the environment”.
Red Sea Global’s second destination project, Amaala – also on the west coast of Saudi Arabia – is set to open at the end of 2024. The projects form part of Saudi Arabia’s 2030 Vision strategy, which aims to open up the kingdom to international tourism and to invest in a more diverse and sustainable economy.
Islands and reef
Spanning almost 11,000 square miles, The Red Sea destination includes more than 90 islands and the world’s fourth-largest barrier reef.
By 2030, The Red Sea will offer 50 hotels, 8,000 rooms, more than 1,000 residential properties and its own international airport.
Raed Albasseet, chief environment and sustainability officer, said the environment, conservation and sustainability are “part of our DNA”.
“We are obliged to be regenerative,” he said, explaining how the environment and sustainability team has been involved with every stage of development at The Red Sea.
“We started to engage with the scientists first, rather than the master planners and engineers,” he said.
They consulted experts at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology to find ways to minimise the pressure on the marine ecosystems and habitats and to improve them where they can – for example, tackling the problems of cats preying on birds and turtle nests.
We are obliged to be regenerative. We engaged with the scientists first, rather than the engineers
“We have taken it upon ourselves to remove those pressures, so that the site is positive because of our presence,” Albasseet said. “We invest in the natural capital to enhance the ecosystem in the lagoon.”
Three-quarters of the islands have been left untouched, with nine islands designated as conservation zones dedicated to research, and new mangroves are being created.
Existing trees are being protected and local species are being planted around the hotels and roads “to benefit the ecosystem”.
All power will come from renewable solar sources, and travellers will move around the destination by electric cars and electric boats.
Visitors will be able to see the sustainability projects as part of their holiday, Albasseet added.
“We hope they will understand they’re part of the story of trying to develop in a different way that adds to the environment and local community,” he said.
“Everything has been carefully thought through and done in the way that makes the experience luxurious but integrated with nature.”
Guest experiences
Guests will be able to learn about marine life at the coral nurseries and how the regeneration work means fish species that have not been seen for years are now returning.
Albasseet’s team is supporting farmers in the region and working towards providing “a good percentage” of food for the hotels to be produced locally.
They are assessing the demand for local fish and seafood to be provided to the hotels so that the levels of fishing will be sustainable.
Albasseet said the destination aims to achieve a 30% net positive conservation benefit by 2040, by enhancing the natural habitats and helping boost the biodiversity.
Fam trips
The UK travel trade looks set to get its first experience of the resorts in 2023 when fam trips are planned, said Loredana Pettinati, senior director of travel trade for Red Sea Global.
The first resorts to open from next May will be two on Ummahat Island – St Regis Red Sea Resort, and Nujuma, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve – and Six Senses Southern Dunes, The Red Sea, in the desert.
Other hotel brands will also be upscale, including Rosewood, Faena, Miraval, Edition and SLS.
There will be 16 resorts in total, plus an 18-hole golf course, a marina, and entertainment and retail facilities.
As well as targeting leisure guests, the destination will also cater for corporate and leisure events.
The Red Sea International airport, 20 minutes away from the main resorts, will also open in 2023.
For the first year, it will be only a domestic terminal with flights from Jeddah and Riyadh, but by 2024 it will start operating international services, with Dubai set to be the first overseas destination.
Pettinati said travellers coming from London will initially have two two options: to fly to Riyadh, which takes six hours and 25 minutes, and then take an hour-and-a-half flight to The Red Sea resorts, or fly to Jeddah, which takes six hours, then take a 40-minute flight north along the coast.
UK partnerships
Red Sea Global had a large exhibition stand alongside other Saudi exhibitors at World Travel Market London earlier this month to showcase The Red Sea and Amaala.
It was the first time the company had its own stand at the event, and it welcomed dignitaries such as Ahmed Al Khateeb, Saudi Arabia’s tourism minister; Zurab Pololikashvili, secretary-general of the UN World Tourism Organization; and Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan, Saudi ambassador to the UK.
We are positioning Saudi Arabia as the luxury destination that is fully sustainable
Pettinati said: “Our message [at WTM] was that we are ready to welcome guests by May 2023.
“We are positioning Saudi Arabia as the luxury tourism destination that is fully sustainable and regenerative.
“Visitors can enjoy the islands and coral but we also have more to offer – desert, mountains, volcanoes, mangroves and amazing culture and heritage.”
She is working with tour operators and luxury travel agents to generate awareness ahead of the creation of packages early next year.
Trade support
Prices for holidays at The Red Sea will compare with those in destinations such as the Seychelles, Mauritius and Maldives, and feature many of the same brands, Pettinati said.
“We will offer the travel trade webinars, sales calls and toolkits with lots of information about the destination,” she added. “The UK is a priority market for the team.”
She said there may be “some caution” in the coming months because of the rising cost of living but added: “There is a huge appetite for once-in-a-lifetime journeys. Travellers who are set to engage with our destination are some of the most resilient.
“The Red Sea is something that has not been seen in the market before – our target audience is looking for something unique.”
Visitors may also combine a holiday in The Red Sea with another Saudi destination, such as AlUla, which is a three-hour drive away.
Activities include desert hiking and diving to see some of 314 species of fish on the coral reef.
Asked about visitors from the LGBTQ community, Pettinati said: “We welcome everyone in our destinations; we just ask guests to follow local customs and respect the culture, like any other Middle East destination. Locals are at the heart of what we do and will be ambassadors for our guests.
“The invitation is open to everyone, and we are looking forward to building our community.”